The use of computing devices having a display screen has increased greatly in the recent past and this trend is likely to continue. As use of traditional computing devices, such as desktop or laptop computers increases, and the mobility of computing devices increases, users of such devices will increasingly face situations where unusual and less-than ideal viewing environments are encountered, rendering the display screen unreadable. Moreover, as existing mobile devices, such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and cellular phones, take on new computing functions that require more elaborate displays, users of these devices will likewise encounter less than ideal viewing environments impacting the visibility and readability of the display screen.
Users encounter less than ideal viewing environments, for example, when the users are employing devices in environments where there is a less than an ideal lighting. There are numerous situations in which it is desirable to use a device where there is less than ideal lighting. For example, when working with a device containing a display screen, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen, in an environment with an over abundance of light, such as when working on a laptop computer outdoors, a common problem that is encountered is that the display screen frequently becomes unreadable due to an over-abundance of ambient light. Other users may in some circumstances frequently use machines that are located in environments having less than ideal lighting, for example, outdoor environments, as when servicing vehicles, or in offices or workspaces with windows exposed to sunlight or bright interior lights. Alternatively, users may periodically encounter unusual lighting environments, as when using a mobile device, such as a laptop or PDA, while travelling or working outdoors for a short period. As the mobility of devices increases, the problem of encountering usual lighting environments will likely increase as well. Whatever the particular reason for encountering an unusual and less than ideal lighting environment, users tend to become frustrated and are inconvenienced when such difficulties using the devices are encountered.
In many of these problematic situations, the display screen simply becomes unreadable because the display screen is not appropriately adjusted such that it accommodates the unusual lighting of the environment. For example, in an environment with bright light, such as an outdoor courtyard or an office with a window exposed to sunlight, a user's computer display screen may be unreadable in part because the display screen is not bright enough, as it has been set to a brightness appropriate for indoor use.
Prior solutions have focused on managing screen brightness, color and contrast, often in an effort to maximize performance and power conservation, or some combination of these two. Prior solutions to varying display screen brightness have particularly focused on power conservation schemes, where the display screen may be dimmed to conserve power in a low-light environment. Alternatively, it is common that the brightest possible setting for the display screen will be used, as when an excess of ambient light is encountered. Still other solutions are provided wherein a device is added to the computer to reduce glare in abundant light conditions. Whatever the various prior solutions to managing display screens have offered, they do not contemplate increasing the readability and usability of the display screen beyond modulating the brightness, contrast and color of the screen, which are often ineffective. Therefore, a need has arisen to increase the visibility, readability and usability of device display screens to overcome the above deficiencies.